Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume II — Page 70
70 Sacr ifices of the Earlier Companions ra When prophets are sent to this world, those who accept them in the early days are the ones considered [the most] exalted. Every Muslim knows that after the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa , Ha z rat Abu Bakr ra , Ha z rat ‘ Umar ra , Ha z rat ‘Uthman ra , Ha z rat ‘ Ali ra , Ha z rat Talha ra , Ha z rat Zubair ra , Ha z rat Abdur R a hman bin Auf ra , Ha z rat Sa‘ad ra , and Ha z rat Sayeed ra were considered among the highest in rank. However, the reason for their higher rank was not because t hings w ere made more easily available to them, but the reason for their superior status was because they suffered more hardships in the name of religion than others. Ha z rat Talha ra lived after the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. When a dispute arose among the Muslims after the martyrdom of Ha z rat ‘Uthman ra , one group said that those responsible for the death of Ha z rat ‘Uthman ra should be punished. The leaders of this group were Ha z rat Talha ra , Ha z rat Zubair ra , and Ha z rat A ’isha h ra. But a second group said that s ince a rift has already developed between the Muslims, and that people would die in any case, we should first unite all the Muslims so the grandeur and the majesty of Islam can be established. We will punish those people afterwards. The leader of this group was Ha z rat ‘Ali ra. This argument escalated so much that Ha z rat Talha ra , Ha z rat Zubair ra and Ha z rat A’isha h ra accused Ha z rat ‘Ali ra of trying to protect the culprits responsible for the martyrdom of Ha z rat ‘Uthman ra. Ha z rat ‘Ali ra blamed them in turn that they were giving pre cedence to their personal interests. They weren’t keeping in mind the interests of Islam. The conflict reached its worst point, a nd a war even broke out between the rival factions. I t was a war in which Ha z rat A’isha h ra also led forces. She sat upon her camel and commanded the troops and H azr at Talha ra and Ha z rat Zubair ra also took part in this battle. As the battle continued between the two parties, a c ompanion ra came up to Ha z rat Talha ra and said , “O Talha ra ! D o you remember the time when you and I were in the company of the Holy Prophet sa and he said , ‘ Talha ra a time will come when you will be in one army and ‘Ali ra in another, and ‘Ali ra will be in the right, and you will be in the wrong ? ’ ” When Ha z rat Talha ra heard this , h is eyes were opened and he said , “Yes, I remember that incident now,” and he immediately left the army. When he was leaving the battleground so that the Holy Prophet Muhammed ’s sa prophecy could be fulfilled, an unfortunate man who was a membe r of Ha z rat ‘Ali ’s ra